by Nikki Landis
He nodded. “I guess I don’t need to ask if you lost them all.” His gaze was fixed directly on my face. I had his full undivided attention. Why was that so unnerving? “Been rough?”
What kind of question was that? Was he making small talk? “You could say that.” I stood and walked to the door – hobbled would be more accurate – but I was determined to make it on my own. “I’m tired. Can we continue this discussion once I’ve had some rest?”
“Sure, Bailee,” he agreed smoothly, opening the door and gesturing for me to follow.
I ended up in a private room down the hall with dark curtains drawn over the window and a comfortable freshly made bed with clean linens. Sliding under the covers, I held my knife tightly in my right hand. He chuckled when he saw that.
“Always prepared?”
“Mm hmm,” I responded with a yawn. If he replied, I never heard it.
SAWYER WATCHED AS BAILEE’S eyes fluttered and closed. She was out the second her head hit the pillow which greatly amused him. She sure was a sweet pretty little thing, full of spunk and determination. Just the way he usually liked his women, at least before the world tanked and went to shit. Now things were different.
He sat back in a nearby chair and leaned against the wall, wondering if he should take a nap as well. He had guard duty tonight. Another late patrol. Fire watch was boring as fuck. Lucky him. Razz wanted to spend time alone with Charlotte. Why, he would never know, other than he was chasing tail. But that was Razz, always joking around and propositioning the ladies wherever they went. Even in a fucking zombie apocalypse the guy couldn’t keep his dick in his pants.
Earlier, he saw the way Razz checked Bailee out. Not that Sawyer was surprised. All Razz required was a pulse and a slat. He was worse than Maverick and Casanova, two of his best friends but definite flirts.
All three guys better stay far away from Bailee.
He needed to apply that thinking to himself as well. She was off limits.
A surge of protectiveness rose up within Sawyer. No, it wasn’t some love at first sight weird ass bullshit. He wasn’t kidding when he said she was a friend. Bailee may not know that, but Razz did. The bastard. Razz knew all about Dr. Mark Schroeder and his niece. Tasked with the mission to find her and secure her safety, Sawyer failed miserably. At least, he thought so.
Until Sawyer found her about to be chomped on like a rubber chew toy.
Fucking Rotters.
He was damn lucky he never took MS69. Many of his brothers had and look where they ended up. Signed up as part of phase 3, the drug trials never progressed beyond phase 2. Razz was one of the few who decided to wait it out with him. The group of guys had served together and started their friendship way back in boot camp over a decade ago. They were more than friends. They were family. That shit never changed, no matter what kind of screwed up world they now lived in. All that was left was Razz, Chewy, Hawkeye, Fisher, Jester, Iceman, Maverick, and Casanova.
Razz and his nicknames. You’d think he fucking wrote the script for Top Gun. The guy loved the movie way too much. That shit just made him feel old but the nicknames stuck.
Over the years, they remained.
Sawyer, affectionately known as “Saw” rounded out the group and held the highest rank. Not that it mattered now. A couple of the guys were married and their wives were here. A couple of girlfriends and a few singles were picked up along the way. The last to join were the female Marines who left base and never made it far before the shit hit the fan. Charlotte, Amy, Kara, and Tonya joined up with the guys out of necessity and safety. As far as he was concerned Marines stuck together no matter what, family first. Semper Fi!
His gaze shifted from the far door back to Bailee. Her long chocolate brown hair spilled across her pillow and shone in the silvery moonlight through the crack in the window drapes like a silky curtain draping her left shoulder. Long dark eyelashes graced her high cheekbones and hid her vibrant hazel eyes. Although Sawyer had seen her picture before, she was much prettier in person. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t attracted to her.
Hell, he was attracted to any female now, not that he had the time or inclination to do a damn thing about it. Tonya was proof enough. Whatever the reason, they never seemed to be able to make it work. Fuck buddies, but not much more, despite her efforts to lock him into a commitment once or twice.
And then comes Bailee.
She was too young for him. Twelve years to be exact. And that wasn’t the only issue. He knew personal information about her and her family that he shouldn’t like her DNA and the experiments, the creation of the drug MS69, and the subsequent research for a cure. He knew her blood was special. It held the key to an antidote, injected by her uncle in a desperate attempt to save her life once the outbreak occurred.
At least that’s what the final records and recon had exposed.
The government was shady as hell. He wasn’t sure what to believe, but his orders were specific.
If Bailee ever found out about Sawyer’s true mission, she’d probably hate him. Why he was bothered by that, he wasn’t quite sure. Bailee was just some cute twenty-three-year-old girl and she needed to stay that way.
He wasn’t looking for companionship in the middle of a fucken zombie apocalypse where most of the population was either infected, undead, or scattered across the U.S. No, Sawyer didn’t need complications, and he usually avoided them with ease. His attraction to Bailee was a complication. He knew that when his eyes lingered on her soft curves covered by the blanket and he had to tear his focus away.
“Saw.”
He turned to the doorway. “Tonya?”
“Reporting in. Got a sec?”
He rose from the chair and made his way across the room, pausing once to let his eyes roam over Bailee once more. There was an almost childlike innocence to the way she slept, her features relaxed and highlighted by the dim yellow light as it trickled through the open door. For some bizarre reason he wanted to run his fingertips across her cheek and see if her skin was as soft as it looked.
Fuck.
Grumbling under his breath, he closed the door and stalked past a surprised and confused Tonya. “Not a word,” he growled, sensing her unspoken question as he stomped away, her request to speak to him completely forgotten.
Chapter 5
“What’s eating you, bro?” Razz dropped the cigarette he was finishing down on the ground and stomped on it once to extinguish the cinders.
Sawyer shook his head. “Don’t ask.”
Razz picked up on his frown, even in the dark night, and chuckled softly. “Bailee.”
Sawyer ignored him and checked his weapon, making sure the rifle was locked and loaded, ready to use at a moment’s notice. Never mind he had done it twice already in the last five minutes.
Razz laughed again but didn’t say anything else. He knew better than to push Saw when he was agitated. Never ended well.
“Do you actually have anything to report?”
Razz sobered as his expression changed, more serious that Saw anticipated. “We found two more.”
“Just like the others?”
“Yeah, no bite marks, no obvious sign of infection. Natural death is the only thing that makes sense.”
“You’re certain?” he clarified.
“Yes, I did the inspection myself.”
Fuck. “Alright, add the info to our log. Don’t mention this to anyone else right now. No until we’re sure.”
“Done,” he agreed as Tonya approached.
“Saw, can we talk?”
Razz nodded in her direction. “You gonna report in or what?”
She turned to Sawyer and dismissed Razz without acknowledging him. “Yeah, I tried that.” Flipping Razz off, she ignored his low whistle. Damn. Razz was always trying to piss her off. She had a quick temper too, didn’t take much.
Sawyer ticked his head in the direction of their base. “Why don’t you go find Charlotte?”
Razz shot him a wide grin. “Sure.
She’s probably waiting for me naked anyway.”
Tonya rolled her eyes. “Stupid fucker. I hope she kicks your ass when I tell her you said that.”
He shrugged. “She can’t resist my charm.”
When they were alone, Sawyer turned his attention to the surrounding fence line. A few Rotters were gathered sporadically, but not enough to be a problem as long as they kept the noise down. No Infected which meant no Runners. He kept his gaze focused on the perimeter as he spoke to Tonya. “What’s the deal? You seem agitated.”
“The west wall is overrun again by the old Hunt & Outdoor Gear store. Chewy and Jester want to put the horde down before we have some serious problems.”
“Fine. Take a squad and eliminate the threat in the morning.” She didn’t move. “Something else?”
“We found another small horde close to Sierra Valley Homes.”
He sighed. Their next plan of action was to clear that subdivision and pick up supplies. “The horde has to be dealt with before we can scavenge.”
She knew that already. “Which one do you want us to take care of first?”
“The west wall is more urgent. Take your squad in the morning and I’ll take another over to Sierra Valley. Use the silencers. Be as quiet as you can. Lead them to the pits we set up last week. I don’t want to draw more attention to that wall. It’s already vulnerable enough.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sawyer caught movement near the trees, close to the fence perimeter. Raising his rifle, he peered through the scope. Wolves. They were worse now with the Infected and virus, the Bloaters and Runners, the undead and the Crawlers. Some of the wolves went rabid. Some didn’t. He wasn’t sure why many of the packs became ferocious and others seemed to stick to hunting wild animals, leaving humans alone. The only explanation that made sense was that some wolves bit or ate Infected or Rotters while others did not. Maybe they could scent the sickness and virus. Who knew?
He lowered the rifle when he realized there was no threat. She was still standing next to him. “What is it, Tonya?”
“Are you sticking to the mission?”
He scowled. Tonya often questioned his decisions as if she was the one in charge. “I always follow orders.”
She nodded. “Good to know.” Rising on her tiptoes, Tonya placed a quick kiss on his cheek and walked away, leaving him to contemplate her question in silence over the next several hours.
By the time his shift was over he was grumpy and in desperate need of a few hours of rest. His feet carried him forward without thinking and before he realized where he was going, he entered Bailee’s room. Taking the other bed across from her, he sank onto the mattress, falling to sleep only a few minutes later.
DAY 368, A.Z. –
I awakened in dim light with my leg throbbing. Moaning lightly, I stretched my fingers across my thigh and met the smooth edge of the bandage. That’s right. Stitches. Seven of them if I remembered correctly.
“How are you feeling?”
Sawyer’s deep voice startled me enough that I jumped and he smirked in response. “You should be more aware of your surroundings.”
I bolted upright, my knife at his throat before he could move. “I am, I assure you.”
Our eyes met and locked. For a few seconds, neither of us moved.
He growled low at my response, “A word of advice. Never attack a Marine unless you plan to kill him.”
I was flipped on my back instantly, flat against the mattress two seconds later. Both his hands held my wrists, the knife clattering uselessly to the floor. How did he do that so quickly? “You’re fast,” I observed. His nearness was disconcerting. Our chests touched with each rise and fall of our breaths, causing my nipples to harden with the contact.
“I’m a weapon. Remember that,” he advised, not letting go.
“I think you proved your point.”
His eyes never left mine, flashing several different emotions, not the least of which was attraction and anger, desire and frustration. Was he always this complicated?
“I think you need to train. It’s dangerous out there and I’m not sure you’re prepared enough.”
He was right, even if I didn’t want to admit it. “Are you going to be the one to train me, Sawyer?” I asked, completely serious.
“If you like.”
Those deep blue eyes as bottomless as the ocean held me captive. “I’d like that.” What in the world just possessed me to answer him like that? And why was my heart racing so fast?
He seemed to notice, “You alright?”
I might have thought he was serious except his gaze softened and the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement. “I’m awesome, or at least I would be if you weren’t squishing my thigh. You’re heavy.”
He was instantly contrite. “Sorry about that.” When he sat up I kind of missed the way his body was pressed to mine. He generated a good amount of heat. Not to mention all those sexy muscles.
I gave my libido a mental kick. Behave.
“My leg hurts,” I admitted, trying to distract my current train of thought.
“I’ll take care of that. Don’t move.”
When he returned with a first aid kit, I obediently waited for him to clean the wound and place a new bandage over the area. With my thigh in this position my legs were spread wide open and I blushed as he leaned in, getting way too close. My whole body suddenly felt hot and exposed. Laying back, I hoped he didn’t notice.
“Bailee.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m all done,” his voice sounded strained, but I noticed he hadn’t moved yet.
“Everything okay?” I asked, rising up on my elbows.
“Yeah, take these.” He handed me a bottle of water and a couple of pain relievers. “I have to leave for a few hours. There’re two squads heading out. One of the hordes close by needs dealt with.”
“Be careful.”
He smiled. “Sure. You get some rest and don’t push that leg too much today. Alright?”
I nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
“I have no doubt that you will be, Bailee.”
When he left I decided I enjoyed the way his voice wrapped around my name, like he wanted to own and claim it, and I was pretty sure I liked the idea way more than I should.
SAWYER GESTURED TO Razz, Iceman, and Fisher. The four soldiers spread out, flanking the horde of undead from above. Nearly fifty H.I.M.S. were crowded together, bumping into one another, seemingly without direction. The Rotters were downwind, a position that was necessary if the guys wanted to avoid a feeding frenzy.
Shambling forward without direction, the undead seemed to lack any purpose at all. Of course, this wasn’t true. As soon as they smelled blood, urine, body odor, etc. they'd react immediately. Saw was just glad no Runners were about, but they usually reserved their attacks for darkness. Night seemed to feed their enhanced abilities.
Razz gestured with his hands in silent communication. Saw indicated they should spread out and corral the Rotters toward the pits. Once the four Marines were in place, they shouted and waved around a few freshly caught bunnies on sticks that Sawyer had caught this morning and kept in a sealed container until this moment. Fresh kills meant total cooperation. The fastest way to move a horde with minimal risk.
The Rotters snarled and hissed, some flicking out their blackened tongues while others clicked their teeth. Chomping on air, the H.I.M.S. shuffled and lurched toward the men and the scent of blood. Once they were close enough, Saw and the others backed off and watched with humor as the undead fell one right after the other into the pits. A few sharp spikes protruded from the ground and snared a handful on their descent. Most returned to their feet and began reaching upward for the tasty flesh that beckoned their raw hunger.
There was just one problem.
There were too many to let them remain here. They might find a way out, especially if the rain loosened the soil. Too risky.
“Saw,” Iceman called, grinning wide, “We should clear th
e pits.”
Fisher laughed, a blade in each hand. “Agreed.”
“Best sparring partner I could ask for,” Razz added.
“One pit at a time, three in at once and one on post,” Saw ordered.
“I’ll wait for the next one,” Iceman offered.
Two seconds later Fisher, Razz, and Saw leaped into the horde. Laughing, they immediately began to sink their blades into the skulls of the Rotters. Shoving bodies and making quick work of the H.I.M.S., it was over way too fast. Saw’s chest heaved with exertion as he climbed up the side of the pit and joined the others.
The next two pits were accomplished with ease. Minutes later, Saw sat with his men as they passed around a couple of smokes and gazed up at the azure sky. Light and sunny, nearly cloudless, it was deceptively beautiful and serene. The world wasn’t the same place it used to be. Life would never be as simple as when they were Marines serving their country. Yeah, they were still active duty but it was different now. Everything was different.
He almost forgot what it was like to sit with his men and enjoy an afternoon. When they were overseas and served in Afghanistan, life was brutal but structured. They found time for simple moments like this, desperate to enjoy a sense of normalcy that wasn’t tainted by terrorists. He felt almost celebratory when he thought back to how far they had come and how much they had accomplished.
A beer sounded pretty great right about now.
Maybe they needed to find an old facility. The Budweiser plant wasn’t far. He kicked around the idea with the men and decided they would try soon. Why not? His orders didn’t restrict his searching grid. His team could go wherever they wanted.
Saw felt the need to let loose a little bit and joined in with jokes and old stories as the four men laughed. It felt good to smile and think about something other than death, rot, and a world overtaken by undead. For the first time in months, he felt relaxed.
Damn.
Jumping into the pits with the Rotters and spending the afternoon outdoors was the most fun he had in a long time.
At least being a soldier still had some uses.